Welcome to Chiarle Lab in University of Torino

My laboratory in Italy is interested in the mechanisms of initiation, growth and therapy of cancers. In the past years, we have been working on different types of hematologic and solid cancers. Most lymphomas, but also an increasing number of solid tumors, are characterized by defined chromosomal translocations. The products of such translocations control tumor growth and confer precise biological characteristics to the tumors. Ultimately, they can be targeted by specific therapies. In lymphoma, translocations involving the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) gene are characteristic of a subset of T cell lymphoma, the Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). However, recently they were found also in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLC) and other solid tumors. We have extensively studied the role of ALK in lymphoma by discovering multiple pathways exploited to induce cellular transformation. By exploiting xenografts and mouse models for ALCL and NSCLC, and also neuroblastoma, we want to define relevant mechanisms of ALK-mediated transformation in vivo but also to validate therapeutic approaches to target ALK in such cancers. We are currently implementing innovative therapies such as ALK inhibitors, ALK-targeted siRNA and ALK-specific cancer immunotherapy. In this context, we developed a vaccination protocol that generates a strong ALK-specific immunization and seek to explore its potential use in clinical protocols.